Luoping Zhang

Dr. Luoping Zhang serves as an Adjunct Professor of Toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health, a position held since 1992. Her research pioneers molecular mechanisms of bone marrow toxicity from benzene, formaldehyde, and related chemicals through advanced genomic technologies including CRISPR, next-generation sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Her educational foundation includes:

• PhD in Biochemical Toxicology from Simon Fraser University (1993)
• MS in Biochemistry from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (1985)
• BS in Physical Chemistry from Wuhan University (1982)

Dr. Zhang's research spans molecular epidemiological studies of chemical exposure-cancer relationships, mechanisms of chemically induced genotoxicity, and omic-based biomarker discovery. She has made seminal contributions to understanding benzene-induced hematotoxicity and formaldehyde-related neurodegenerative disorders, with recent work emphasizing epigenetic aging biomarkers and CRISPR-based functional genomic screening. Her investigations extend to environmental pollution impacts in China, particularly through occupational exposure studies.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a dominant focus on applying the key characteristics of carcinogens framework to benzene, formaldehyde, and glyphosate. Her work increasingly integrates computational approaches with high-throughput omic technologies to identify exposure biomarkers, with notable emphasis on epigenetic and immunological endpoints. Current research trends show expansion into PFAS immunotoxicity, chemical mixture effects, and nonlinear low-dose response modeling.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Fulbright Fellowship (2019-2020) for guest lecturing at the University of Udine, Italy

Dr. Zhang actively mentors doctoral students including Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Iemaan Rana. Her grant leadership spans the Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study (NCCLS), Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Childhood Leukemia and the Environment (CIRCLE), Superfund Research Program (SRP), and Center for Exposure Biology (CEB). She holds significant appointments as a Carcinogen Identification Committee member (appointed by Governor Brown in 2012) and service on National Academies, US EPA, and IARC committees.

Her laboratory employs molecular cytogenetic methods and high-throughput technologies to investigate chromosomal abnormalities in occupationally exposed workers. She collaborates extensively through the NCCLS, CIRCLE, and Berkeley-based environmental health consortia, with ongoing projects examining CRISPR-based functional genomics of chemical toxicity and biomarker validation in Chinese worker cohorts.